Toolbox Activity 5: Exploring Social Networks
Written by: Jonathan Briggs
October 29, 2008 [3439 views]
A slight change of theme for the next activity that will allow some other people to catch up. In this exercise I want you to explore the similarities and differences between 5 social networking sites:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Del.icio.us
Digg
Task 1: join these social networks
You are probably already a member of at least one of these sites but if not I want you to join them. They are all rather different and worth experimenting with, even if you are a member of MySpace, Hi5 or one of the other Social Networks.
Last year many students did not take this activity very seriously. They could not see the point of joining so many different sites. Please be assured that they are all seriously different and all will provide you with tools that will be useful to you in the future. FaceBook is, for example, a serious competitor to Google (for advertising) and Twitter introduces a very interesting concept called a Life Feed.
Deadline for this activity: Midnight, Tuesday 11th November (notice that this is after Employability Week)
What you will do
- Join each of the networks
- Fill in your profiles including where possible a link to your new site
- Make a note of the URL to your public profile on each of these sites
- Research the differences between each of the networks (Twitter, Del.icio.us and Digg are very different). Make notes on the different features of each of the sites.
- Find Jonathan Briggs on each of the networks and link to him where possible/appropriate
- In return Jonathan will link back
- Add a link to your profile on each of your networks on your blog
- Fill in the short feedback survey
Here is a link to feedback your answers to part 1
Task 2: discuss the social networks
To complete the second task simply answer the following questions
1. How would you define the term “social network” to a friend who had not used any of these services?
2. For each of the networks please provide a short description of what the service is offering its members:
- FaceBook
- LinkedIn
- Twitter
- Del.icio.us
- Digg
3. Which of the networks do you think you will find useful?
4. Explain your answer
5. What privacy issues exist in using these networks?
6. Why do you think the companies behind them are worth so much money?
7. What questions do you have about these services?
Here is a link to feedback your answers to part 2
Recent comments:
What do you think?
On October 30, 2008 at 8:12 PM, person wrote:
Do we have to join each network or only some of them ??
Jonathan replies: Join them all!